Switch stand



July 19; 1938. s. L. EASTBURN SWITCH sTA'fmv Fil ed May 27, 19s? 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SAMUEL L Bis-mum ATTORNEY Juiy 19, 1938. s. L.EASTBURN 2,124,190

' SWITCH STAND Filed May 2'7, 19557 ZSheets-Sheet 2 INVENTCR SAMUEL L.EAsmu/PM I mf%%;

ATTO R N E Patented July 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCHSTAND Application May 27, 1937, Serial No. 145,000

1 Claim.

. The invention relates to railway track equipment and, moreparticularly, to switch stands for operating railway switches.

The invention is shown applied to a switch :stand of the general typedisclosed in Patent No.

v grooves-in the star block. A hand lever operable do .pendable, sometrouble has been experienced by foreign matter getting into the grooveson the star block. Sand, snow and ice collects in these slots, andsometimes the padlock chain for looking the switch stand, interferingwith and delaying the operation of the stand.

According to the invention, protecting devices are provided in the formof a circular disc or plate attached to the operating arm, this dischaving depending side walls and forming a protective casing whichoverlies the slots in the star block and protects them from foreignmatter thereby insuring unhindered engagement between the operating armand the said slots, and increasing the safety of the switch stand andspeeding up its operation.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention will be particularly pointed out in the claim appendedhereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and themanner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood byreferring to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings form-' ing a part thereof, in which- Fig. 1 is aplan View of the improved switch stand;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

' has upstanding sides andis covered by a three- Fig. 3 is a horizontalsection on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a'vertical side elevation of the switch stand looking towardthe switch.

In the following description and in the claim, various details. will beidentified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended tobe as generic in their application as the art will 1 permit.

like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,certain specific dis- 1T5 closure of the invention is made for purposesof explanation, but it will be understood that the details may bemodified in various respects without departure from the broad aspect ofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the switch stand comprises a casingindicated, in general, by having base flanges l I for spiking orotherwise securing to the railroad ties. The casing part coveringcomprising a mid-section l2 and easily removable end sections 13 and I4. This type of cover is described in detail and claimed in my PatentNo. 1,783,283, granted December 2, 1930. I

Seated within the casing l0 and Journalled in the mid-cover section I 2is a star block 15 having four recesses engageable by the spring pressedrollers 16, as indicated in Fig. 3 and described more in detail in theaforementioned Kidd patent. The top of star block 15 is provided withfour slots 30 opening upwardly. Journalled within the star block I5 is avertical spindle 11 passing through the bottom of the casing 10 andhaving an arm l9 for connection to a connecting rod (not shown)extending to the switch. The upper end of spindle I1 is shaped tosupport a target (not shown) for indicating the position of the switch.

Pinned to the spindle I1 is a sleeve 20 having an ear 2| to which theoperating arm 24 is pivoted. The sleeve 20 also has a lug 22 supportinga lock eye 23 through which a padlock (not shown) may be passed forlocking the switch stand.

The operating arm or drop lever 24 is forked to straddle the sleeve 20and has ears 25 embracing ear 2| through all of which pivot bolt 26passes. Part of the arm 24 is shaped to form a housing 21 seating aspiral spring 28 engaging between the bottom of the housing 21 and thelug 22 to urge the operating arm downwardly. The side of housing 21 isprovided with a small eye 3! to which the chain of the padlock may besecured.

Formed preferably integral with the operating arm 24 are laterallyextending plate members 32 having depending flanges 33. These platemembars 32, depending flanges 33, together with the hinged ears 2! and25 and housing 2? form a protecting housing or covering for the fourslots 30 in the star block l5, thus protecting these slots from theintroduction of foreign matter no matter to what position the switchstand is thrown.

Pivoted by pivot bolt 35 to the side of casing it is hand lever 34. Thishand lever is provided with a slot 35 in which the operating arm 24engages.

To operate the switch stand, hand lever 34 is moved in a vertical planefrom one position to the other in the same manner as explained in theabove mentioned Kidd patent. The first part of the movement of handlever 3 3 raises operating arm or drop lever 24 out of its slot 3%,after which further movement of the hand lever 3'3 moves operating arm24 in a horizontal plane, causing it to drop in the next notch 38, thisdropping being assisted by the spring 28. The horizontal movement of arm24 rotates the spindle H which operates the switch. The protectiveshroud formed by plates 32 and flanges 33 loosely telescopes thecircular top of star block 55 and partakes of both vertical and circularmovement with drop lever 24.

When the switch stand is operated automatically by the passage of trainsthrough the switch, the star block 15, sleeve 2i) and operating arm E lcarrying the protective housing or shroud for the slots rotate as aunit, without changing the relation of the slots to their protectinghousing.

Thus, the present construction increases the safety and reliability ofthis type of switch stand. The new construction guards all of the slotsagainst all foreign matter likely to lodge in the slots,the padlockchain, dirt, ballast, snow and me. 24 is raised, the protective housingformed by plates 32 and depending flanges 33 rises and ro-- tates withthe arm, but at no time are any of the slots 30 exposed to the weatheror in such position that any foreign matter, such as the chain on thepadlock, can drop in and interfere It will be noted that, as theoperating arm with the safe and quick operation of the switch stand. Inthe prior construction foreign matter was liable to collect in the slotsin the star block and interfere with the hand operation of the stand.The provision of a protecting housing or casing formed integral with theoperating arm fully guards these slots and protects them from allforeign matter, insuring safe and speedy seating of the operating arm inthe slot to which it is moved at all times.

While certain novel features of the invention.

have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

In a switch stand, a casing, a block journalled in said casing, springdevices in said casing for yieldably holding said block in any of four,predetermined rotary positions, a vertical shaft mounted in said blockand casing and having means for connection to a switch, a sleeve securedto said vertical shaft and having a hinge ear, a drop lever comprising aforked portion straddling saidsleeve andprojecting earsembracingsaidfirstmentioned ear, a horizontal pivot member passingthrough said ears, said drop lever carrying a seat, said sleeve carryingan abutment, a spring between said seat and abutment, said drop leverhaving a housing surrounding said spring, said block having acirculartop providedwithfour slots into which said drop lever seat isadapted selectively to rest, a hand lever pivoted to said casing andhaving a cam slot through which said drop lever extends, said drop levercarrying, on either side, horizontally extending plate portionsextending out from said housing and forked portion close above thecorresponding slots, said plate portions having curved skirt portionsconcentric with said circular top and depending below the tops of theouter ends of said corresponding slots, said plate and skirt portionsextending substantially from said projecting ears to the outer edge ofsaid housing, said plate and skirt portions forming a protecting shroudloosely telescoping over said circular top and protecting the slots oneither side of any slot in which said seat rests, said shroud havingboth vertical and circular movement with said drop lever.

SAMUEL L. EASTBURN.

